Do you need a visa for China?

Almost every question about visiting China now starts here, because the answer changed several times in the last two years and it is different for every nationality. Work through the four questions below and you will know which route applies to you.

Question 1: Is your nationality on the unilateral visa-free list?

If yes, you can enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, for tourism, business, family visits, exchange or transit. The 30 days are counted from 00:00 on the day after entry.

The list currently covers around fifty countries. It includes most of Europe — recently joined by Sweden, and since 17 February 2026 by the United Kingdom — plus Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Canada and a growing set of Gulf states.

It does not include the United States or India, and it does not include most of Africa or the Middle East.

Check the expiry date. Most countries are covered only until 31 December 2026. Russia’s arrangement runs to 31 December 2027. An earlier Russian scheme ended on 14 September 2026.

If your nationality is on this list, that is your answer and you can stop here.

Question 2: Are you genuinely in transit to a third country?

The 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit scheme is the most useful route for nationalities that are not on the unilateral list — including US citizens.

You qualify if all of these are true:

Requirement	Detail
Nationality	Ordinary passport from one of 57 participating countries
Routing	Onward travel to a third country or region, not back where you came from
Ticket	Confirmed onward booking departing within 240 hours
Entry port	One of 65 designated ports
Stay area	Within 24 permitted provincial-level regions
Permit	Applied for free on arrival

Cross-province travel inside the permitted areas is allowed, which makes this far more usable than the old 72- and 144-hour schemes it replaced in December 2024. Work, study and journalism are excluded. If you never leave the airport, a separate 24-hour airside transit applies at all ports.

The classic version of this is flying into Shanghai from Europe, travelling around eastern China, and flying out to Japan or South Korea.

Question 3: Are you going to Hainan, or arriving on a cruise?

Hainan island gives ordinary passport holders from around sixty countries — including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Russia — 30 days visa-free. The restriction is absolute: you must stay on Hainan. Going on to the mainland requires a visa.

Cruise passengers arriving on an organised group shore excursion have a separate 15-day arrangement through designated cruise ports. This only applies to approved group excursions, not to independent travellers.

Question 4: None of the above? You need a tourist (L) visa

This is the route for US, Indian and most African and Middle Eastern passport holders.

• Apply through the COVA online form, then submit your passport in person or through an appointed agent. There is no mail-in option in most countries.
• You need a passport valid for at least six months with two blank pages, a 48 × 33 mm photograph, and your flight and hotel bookings.
• Fingerprints are waived for all short-stay applicants until 31 December 2026.
• The United States charges a flat US$140, with processing in about four business days. The ten-year multiple-entry visa is still issued to US citizens.
• UK fees are £64 regular, £128 for five years and £191 for ten years, under a reduction running to 31 December 2026.

What to check before you book anything

1. Your nationality against the current official list. Not a blog post, not this page.
2. The expiry date of the scheme you are relying on. Several lapse on 31 December 2026.
3. What your airline will accept at check-in. Airlines enforce entry rules at the gate, and their interpretation decides whether you board.

On arrival

• Complete the electronic arrival card online before you fly — paper cards are largely gone since 20 November 2025.
• The COVID-era health declaration requirement has been abolished.
• Declare cash above RMB 20,000 or foreign currency above US$5,000.
• Hotels register you with the police automatically. If you stay anywhere else, register within 24 hours; this can now be done online.
• Carry your original passport at all times. It is required for hotels, trains and major attractions.

The part that actually catches people out

Visa rules are no longer the hard part of a China trip. Timed, real-name attraction bookings are. The Forbidden City sells no tickets at the gate at all and releases bookings about a week ahead. The Terracotta Army and the National Museum also require advance passport-based reservations.

Book those as soon as your dates are firm, then build the rest of the trip around them. Our full entry guide goes into more detail, and the high-speed rail guide covers the second booking bottleneck — train tickets.